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Chapter 5
Claws and Scales
0~o~0
"Okay. Okay," Xing may or may not have been internally panicking at this point. "Everything is going to be fine. I know Tian. I know dragons. As long as nothing goes wrong nothing will go wrong. Right?"
Min Su was watching Xing blankly, although there might have been a flicker of something behind her eyes. "Is there a problem?"
"No, no problem," Xing waved her hand over her head, which was currently thumped against the desk. School was over as of a few minutes ago, and she couldn't delay any longer, "It's a human thing. Let me panic in peace."
"Panic?" Min Su's brows furrowed slightly, "What need is there to panic?"
Xing's head popped up and eyed the other dragon balefully and spoke with a dull monotone, "Angry dragons are terrifying. My dragon is terrifying on a good day."
Blinking, Min Su tilted her head, "Why would he get angry?"
Xing groaned and just pushed herself out of her desk, standing. "I am more afraid for you if you offend him somehow. He's been around for a while so he has a lot of self control, but I am a little hesitant to bring a possible threat into his territory."
The other girl seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. "Very well. How do I present myself as . . . not a threat? Please explain as we walk."
"Huh," Xing's head spun around as her companion started toward the door, "Uh, right now? Like, right, right now?"
"I don't see any point in putting it off," Min Su commented, not even pausing. "Panic is irrational. If he is going to shred me today, he would shred me a week from now. It makes no difference to me."
". . . right," Xing sighed. "Of course you'd think like that."
Curse dragons and their twisting logic. Why did it have to make sense?!
They were silent for the few minutes it took to walk through the empting halls and start down the street. It was about thirty minutes from Xing's home, and she took a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself for having a talk with her brother.
"Okay," Xing sighed, "To start off, do not activate your powers. For any reason. You are in his territory, his safe place, and unsheathing your claws when you come in peace is a big no."
Min Su nodded. "I will not make the first move."
Xing grunted in frustration, "Even if you do not make the first move, he will still likely pull a knife on you. Just . . . be prepared to make yourself not react," she blushed, "He probably won't kill you unprovoked. Maybe. Actually, scratch that, it's probably better if I go in before you."
One blond eyebrow lifted, "You would risk putting your back to me?"
Xing shot her own look right back, "Between you and my brother? I'm going to be watching him."
"Noted," Min Su hummed, "Your brother is very powerful, then?"
A small snort left Xing, "For the first month and a half after he awoke I was half convinced I was going to die in my sleep. He's come a long way being able to fake being human, but he's got a killer's instinct. You don't. Not yet."
". . . I see." Min Su's face was still blank, but there was almost a considering twist to it. "How should I address him when I speak to him?"
"Okay," Xing tugged her backpack closer, "It's probably best to be polite. Start your conversation like this -"
0~o~0
Hei glanced at the clock with a frown. He'd gotten out of school earlier than expected and he'd started making lunch for Xing. Their parents weren't going to be home (they'd called in earlier about a work holdup), but Xing should have been back by now.
"Did she get held after school for something?" he muttered as he turned the rice onto a low heat. "Maybe I should go out and look for her. It's getting a little late."
He left the kitchen and grabbed his coat off of the peg in the front living room closet, slipping into it. It was a near black green, a little like the long coat he'd worn while working for the syndicate but less bulletproof.
It still boggled his mind that Xing was still Xing. It honestly felt like his world had flipped on him, sending him spiraling down a path of what ifs that he had never allowed himself to consider before.
Their parents were still alive.
Xing wasn't Bai.
Hei . . . still wasn't quite Tian, but he was trying. Some days made it hard, though.
Just as he was walking toward the entrance to head out there was a soft, hesitant knock and Xing's voice called out from the other side of the door.
"Hey, Tian! I'm home! And I, uh," the door opened and Xing dipped her head around the corner hesitantly as it opened, "I brought a friend home that wants to meet you?"
Hei's mouth twitched into a slight smile as he heard her. There was a divide between the front hallway and the room that he was in, and he called out as he walked toward the opening, "I am glad you are home, Xing. I was getting a little worried when I noticed the time. I was just about to come looking-"
The knife was in his hands before he consciously realized.
"Wait, Tian, this isn't what it looks like!" Xing threw herself between the girl in the doorway and Hei, her eyes wide and she stretched out her arms between the two, as if that would prevent him from getting around her to the contractor.
Light brown eyes stared back blankly, flickering between Xing and Hei for a moment before settling on the knife.
"Xing," Hei felt his face slip into its familiar emotionless mask. "Move. Now."
If Xing hadn't been in the way, the contractor would already be dead. He could have done so regardless, but he would rather Xing didn't see that side of him. Not yet.
Why isn't she moving?
"Please, Tian. Just . . . calm down for a moment and listen, okay? Look, I know what she is and you are and-"
"If I may," a light hand settled on the younger girl's shoulder and both siblings stiffened. Hei felt a spark of his power slip from his control and crackle op the blade, but he ignored it to focus back on the contractor who was pushing his sister out of the line of fire what -
"Honored Dragon," the contractor bowed, exposing her neck to Hei in submission and leaving her hands stretched out to either side, pointed down, where they couldn't easily grasp a weapon or direct her powers, "I apologize for any conflict that I might have brought this day. I simply wished to meet a Great One such as you, and to beg a request from your person."
Hei felt his mind freeze in confusion, his instinctive lunge hesitating at such an uncontracter-like behavior. Plus, what had she just called him?
The contractor's eyes flickered upwards and, seeing that she wasn't in any immediate danger of dying, deepened her bow further.
"In accordance with my lowly position, I humbly ask for thy guidance, Honored Dragon, in learning to hide myself among the humans. In exchange," she sucked in a breath, "I offer to guard thy precious sister with my life when you cannot."
"Ah~" Xing groaned dropping her head into her hands, "You were supposed to stick with the scriiiipt~"
Hei didn't even glance at her, his emotions rolling through him like thunder. The contractor, likewise, refused to move from her bow despite how stiff she had become.
This must go against everything that her logic is telling her, Hei realized, She's in enemy territory, with a knife that could end her life within inches of her neck, and she's not moving to defend herself.
Hei hesitated. It wasn't his policy to let a contractor go. They were unpredictable and volatile, but - she said she'd protect his sister?
When given enough motivation, contractors could be unbelievably loyal.
Xing, what in the world did you tell her?
Slowly, the sparks faded from his knife and he pulled it back slightly, eyeing the contractor warily. After a moment he sighed. "Please wait in the front room for a few moments. I have something that must be done before we can discuss your . . . offer," he paused, "Xing, with me. We need to talk."
Xing swallowed heavily, her eyes wide, and nodded swiftly. Her eyes glanced over at the contractor that was looking back at her and gave her a small smile.
The contractor, to Hei's disbelief, relaxed slightly and nodded back. "I shall wait for you to be finished, then. Could you please direct me to the room you wish me to wait in?"
Hei looked between the two before backing up and gesturing to his left, where a section of the wall opened up into another room. "It's in here. Make yourself comfortable," he turned to his sister, eyes searching, "Xing, come."
Words were becoming harder and harder to articulate. Arg. What was with this situation?
As they marched up the stairs, Hei tried to make sense of the situation. Xing wasn't a contractor. Xing had come home with a contractor. Xing had thrown herself between a contractor and him. Xing had known -
Xing was being unusually quiet. And small. Very, very small. Like a mouse that was trying not to be noticed by the large predator laying down next to it. She was curled inward slightly, and her footsteps were light, almost silent but not quite. Hei glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and felt himself flinch.
I didn't even notice, he realized. I knew she was following me, but I didn't notice.
Harmless. Harmlessharmlessharmless. No threat here.
Xing, how long have you known to do that when I am angry?
Hei paused outside of his room for a moment, and Xing gave him a shaky smile. He stared at her blankly before pushing the door open and entering. The room was almost bare of anything that gave it personality. There was a small cooking magazine in the corner, his phone and lamp on the desk, and a small clock on his bedside table, but that was almost it. The bed was plain black, and his closet contained mostly dark clothing. In all honesty, he hadn't known what to do with it when he found himself in the past again.
He'd never stayed in one place long enough to ever need things.
Pulling the desk chair out, Hei flicked his hand to the bed to indicate where he wanted Xing to sit. The chair he angled to face the bed slightly, but also to give him a good look at the entrance and the window. He sat down silently and folded his hands in front of himself, turning his burrowing gaze to his sister.
"Ok, Xing," he breathed, "Explain. What did that girl mean by Dragon?"
"Ah~haha," Xing puffed out her cheeks slightly and her eyes darted back and forth, avoiding his taller form, "I - there were a lot of clues - little things though so don't worry! - but I - we - she's a - Arg! This is not how I thought I would tell you!"
Hei crossed his arms, quirking one brow. "Tell me what?"
"Tian," Xing groaned, curling into herself and pulling her legs up under her chin, "I know what you are."
Hei felt his heart freeze for the second time that day. "What?!"
She knew he was a contractor? Since when? How?
"Ah, I'm sorry!" she threw out her arms in front of her, eyes wide, "I saw you sneaking out one night and I saw you in a feild and I saw you dancing with the knife and the sparks and I knewyouwereaHeavenlyDragon."
". . . Uh?" Hei blinked slowly and the jumbled words, twitching, "Run that by me again?"
Xing flushed red and poked her fingers together nervously, "I . . . know you're a Heavenly Dragon?"
Heavenly . . . Dragon?
"And . . . how did you come to know that?" the words slipped out through his confusion because what in the world -
"Here," Xing somehow whipped out a notebook faster than Hei could pull out his knife at the unexpected movement. She froze as she noticed his hand hovering over the knife and didn't move until he relaxed slightly and pulled his hand out of grabbing range.
When did she get to be so observant? Hei eyed her warily. How long has she been like this without me realizing it? She's acting like -
His mouth thinned.
She's acting like me around Bai.
"Okay, so," Xing was speaking again, and Hei snapped back into focus, "I kinda knew that something was different about a year ago? I think? Anyway, I just started watching and I noticed a lot of little things. Like the way that you would look at me and Mum and Dad sometimes-"
He flinched. She'd noticed?
"-and how you acted when anyone else held a knife near you. There were other things too, but I noted everything down and when I started to do some research, well," her flush deepened, "uh, see for yourself."
The notebook was held out like a peace offering. Hei examined it distantly for a moment and then carefully plucked it from her slightly shaking fingers. It was a nice notebook, probably one of her journals that had been repurposed. The leather cover was well worn, though, and the binding was starting to tear. It was clear that this was used often, treasured. Running his hand over the cover he glanced up at her to see if it was okay to open it and noticed her intense stare.
The moment she met his eyes her ears reddened and she ducked, mumbling a soft, "What are you waiting for? Open it!"
Deft fingers flicked it open and he glanced down at the page, eyes widening. Across the top in tiny but heavily indented writing, it said: Dragon's for Dummies
He skimmed the first page, which seemed to be a careful description of how to recognize a dragon in human skin, what to do if you do encounter them, and how not to get yourself killed offending one.
"1 - New dragons can't mimic humans very well, so they will seem kinda blank and emotionless. It's best just to stay out of their way and don't draw attention to yourself. If you do come under the gaze of a new dragon then . . ."
"2 - They have a hard time connecting to the world around them when they first awake. It might be hard for them to recognize family and former friends. Don't try to force a connection, especially if you knew then before . . ."
"3 - Dragons need claws. Which means give them a knife, or something sharp and pointy. Stubby human fingers don't make very good claws. If they don't have one, they are more twitchy and irritable. Do not advise."
"4 - Using logic is the best way to get through to a dragon -"
Hei twitched. Xing had written a guide about how to recognize and get along with contractors. How -
Gently he closed the notebook and handed it back to a wary looking Xing. "So," he commented lightly, "Heavenly Dragon?"
The blush, which had almost faded while he had been reading, painted her face all over again as she squeaked and hid it behind her book. "W-well, uh, Tianlong? The Heavenly Dragon? You do call lightning from the heavens, so . . ."
Hei sighed and leaned back against the chair backing. If he were still in the syndicate, this would be a huge security breach. Like, kill all the witnesses and wipe all associated memories kind of breach. Though, maybe after all of the higher-ups got a good laugh because seriously? Dragons?
Though, if we are being honest, who came up with Contractors?
But he wasn't with the syndicate. This wasn't a mission. And Xing wasn't talking about contractors. Technically.
And, oh yeah, he had a contractor sitting on his couch downstairs. Joy.
He had two choices now. He could either tell Xing the truth. He could tell her what contractors were, what they were capable of, and why she should definitely stay very far away from them. This would also mean revealing his time traveling, his past as an assassin, and her own past as a contractor. Or he could just . . . run with it.
Eh, he didn't really want the syndicate to catch wind of him this time. No point in spreading the truth around. A secret held by three is only a secret if two are dead, after all. It's not like she'd believe it anyway.
"Okay," he scrubbed one hand against his face, feeling the lack of stubble and the smooth, unblemished skin of his youth under his finger. "Okay."
Xing peaked out from behind her book. "Okay?"
Hei sighed, "Here is what we are going to do. You are going to go downstairs and make a pot of tea for our guest. I will go have a talk with your . . . friend. Do you understand?"
Xing nodded quickly but didn't move until Hei tilted his head and flicked his eyes toward the door and then back to her. Breaking from her frozen state, Xing jumped up and slipped back out the door, making sure that she was facing him the entire time.
The moment the door shut behind her Hei dropped his head into his hands and groaned.
She's definitely acting like I did around Bai.
The sad part was that it was actually working.
When he'd first come back he'd been twitchy and prone to fits of flashbacks. Xing herself had been one of the major triggers. Several times he'd mistaken Xing for Bai and almost hurt her.
He'd thought he was getting better, though. He thought that the flashbacks weren't being triggered as often.
But that's not really true, is it?
Hei sighed. At some point, Xing must have noticed his odd behavior and started . . . adjusting. She must have picked up habits that made her seem smaller, less of a threat, less like Bai. And it had worked. He hadn't mistaken her for her contractor self in weeks.
And I didn't even notice.
He let out a soft, broken laugh, too soft to hear anywhere but the room. Then he tilted back and sucked in a deep breath, centering himself once again.
Humans were so adaptable.
"Okay," he grunted, pulling himself back together piece by piece. Now was not the time to panic. Right now he had to be Hei, not Tian. "Okay."
He stood and brushed off his coat, silently noting that he'd never taken it off. Good. It would be a good intimidation factor. He almost wished for his mask. Almost. But that had been lost to time, so he would have to do.
"Let's get this over with."
0~o~0
The moment that the door to the kitchen clicked shut Xing collapsed against the wall and slid down the side until the back of her legs touched the cold tile. With a groan she let her head thump against the wall, eyes blank.
"That," she muttered, "Has to be the most terrifying moment of my life."
Tian must have been really thrown off about the whole thing too, because he'd forgotten that she wasn't tall enough to grab the teapot yet. Nor was she allowed to use the burner without their parents permission.
Eh, he'd figure it out. Eventually. She just . . . needed a moment to herself. Yeah, that's what she needed. Just a moment and everything would go back to normal -
Xing groaned.
How did I ever think that this would all turn out fine?
0~o~0
I think I am going to cut this off there. The scene with Min Su and Hei is in the next chapter, but that is going to be another long, drawn out confrontation so . . . yeah. Next chapter. I am currently writing it, so it should be out soon, actually! If you liked the chapter, please let me know! I love to hear all of your thoughts about where you think this is going to go because I have a plan (for once) and I want to see if anyone can guess what is going to happen next!
Oh, I also started a Webtoon. I can't guarantee that it's any good because I am still figuring out how to lay things out, and drawing expressions is much harder than simply explaining in writing. If anyone wants to check it out, I would love the feedback! You don't have to if you don't want to, though. Not like I will ever know. ;) You can find it if you google A Monster's Secret Dream on Webtoons. My pen name over there is simply Goldenbrook.
Anyway, I hope that you all liked the chapter and I look forward to hearing what you think!
(Updated 4/17/2020)